Lightness in Times of Darkness
by katibee234
Summary: The war is over and the atmosphere is dark and unsettling. What these witches and wizards really need is something good. Something light.


This is for the first round of finals for the QLFC. Be aware it is very much AU, so if you don't like that stuff don't read it. Oh and Fred, Remus, and Tonks are all alive.

Prompts:

\- Character: Nymphadora Tonks

\- Color - Cotton Candy Pink

\- Word - Ink

* * *

The air was still smoky, and the sky was just starting to lighten up. The war was over. The Light had won, thank goodness. Hermione Granger walked through what used to be the Great Hall, looking at all the people. Harry sat with the Weasley family; Ginny was hanging on his arm. They were all there, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and his wife Fleur, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron and even Percy. She saw Luna and Neville talking softly to each other and the Patil twins crying over the loss of their friend Lavender Brown. Hermione saw Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins all together. Then she saw Tonks. She was sitting with a younger Hogwarts student, finishing up tending to her small injuries. She walked over and sat down next to the other witch.

"Hey there, Hermione. How are you doing?" Tonks said as the younger witch ran off to be with her friends.

"I'm okay. I'm alive, so I guess that is a plus."

Tonks gave Hermione a small smile, "It is a good thing. I'm happy to be alive but when I think of everyone who is gone, it just tears me apart."

Hermione thought about what her friend was saying. Yes, lots of people died during the duration of the war, but Tonks was right. So many people had also survived.

"Yeah."

"Hermione, let's get out of here. I want to see if there is anyone else who needs help." Tonks stood up and started to walk away. Hermione followed.

* * *

The two witches walked around the ruins of Hogwarts talking about this and that, and helping anyone they found along the way. Hermione was fine until she saw what happened to her most favorite place in the entire school.

"Oh no. The library is almost completely gone!" The walls were blasted through and falling apart, and all the bookshelves and books were either burned or all over the floor. "This is absolutely terrible!" the young witch said. She walked over to some broken tables, "This is where I told harry and Ron about the Philosopher's Stone. Over there is where I figured out about the Basilisk in my second year. And that is where I hit Harry for saying he was the chosen one." she smiled sadly at the memories.

"Well, I bet that when Hogwarts gets rebuilt, the library will be bigger and better than ever."

Hermione sighed.

"How can you be so positive at a time like this?" Hermione asked as they continued to walk.

"If I wasn't, who would be? We all can't be in a slump. I'm happy that I'm still living, and I believe that's something to be celebrated."

Hermione turned to look at her friend and started laughing. "Your hair is pink!"

"No, it's not just pink. It's cotton-candy pink! The best of the pinks, in my opinion."

Hermione kept laughing. She really needed to just laugh. It felt really good. She stopped laughing and slid down the nearest intact wall and sat on the ground.

"Thanks, Tonks. I really needed that."

"Anytime."

"There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you," Remus said as he ran up to Tonks and Hermione.

"We were looking around to see if there was anyone else that needed our help. There were a lot of people helping in the Great Hall, so we thought we would look around the castle." Tonks replied.

"We need all the help we can get looking for survivors around the castle. Oh and I got word from your mother. Teddy is just fine and still sound asleep." He paused as he looked at his wife's hair. "Pink hair. Really?"

"Not just any pink. cotton-candy pink." Hermione said.

"The best of the pinks!" Tonks replied.

"I will never understand women. Well, since you girls seem to be doing okay, why don't you start looking around in the classrooms and other parts of the castle and see if there are any other people that may need help."

"Alright, darling." Tonks gave Remus a kiss, and the two witches took off.

* * *

They had been walking around, looking in classrooms for a while, only finding a couple of people who didn't have major injuries but still needed help. They came upon a classroom and both gasped.

"This room is a mess," Tonks said.

"It is covered from top to bottom in ink! It looks like the vials of ink exploded," Hermione said as she walked into the room, and before she knew it she was falling to the ground.

"Oh my. Hermione are you okay?" Hermione heard Tonks ask.

"Um, yes. I think I'm okay."

"Good," Tonks replied before she started to laugh.

Hermione turned and glared at the other witch.

"It is not okay to laugh at people when they've fallen down, Nymphadora." Hermione smirked.

Tonks immediately stopped laughing and stared at Hermione.

"What did you call me?"

"You heard me." Hermione stood her ground with a smirk still on her face.

Tonks' hair turned a bright red and she smiled, "You are so going to get it", she started to go towards Hermione but slipped in the ink and fell down beside her.

Hermione started to laugh, and after a few seconds, Tonks joined in. That is how Remus found his wife and former student. Laughing hysterically and covered in ink.

"What on earth happened to you two?" he asked them.

"Well, Hermione slipped and fell in the ink and I started laughing. Then she called me Nymphadora, and I ran at her and the fell in the ink as well. Now, we are just having a laugh about it all." Tonks managed to get out in-between gasping for air from laughing so hard.

"Again, I will never understand what goes on inside women's minds," he said to himself. "Now, come along and let's get back to the Great Hall. Or what is left of it, anyway."

While Remus walked ahead of them, Hermione and Tonks stayed back quietly talking.

"Thank you, Tonks."

"What for?"

"For making me laugh. I thought this day was going to be full of sadness, and after everything that happened, you still made me laugh. So, thank you for that."

"Oh, Hermione, any time you need a laugh you can always come to me. Especially on days like today when there has to be some light in the darkness."


End file.
